The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-05

81 80 <ent," he continues, may be OF
az isne III serest to the people of illinois, but
1ney .ontain no shadow of protection for the
ie' .. OF the country. 1t is first provided, In
case pleuro-pDeumonia breaks out among
these cattle, Shufeldt & Co. will waive
all claims against that State for compenss-
ton on account of cattle destroyed, and for
damages from quarantine. This, on its face,
looks like protection for the people of ILL.,
nois from any damages liable to arise. When
we consider, however, that the losses from
the disease are slight, compared with those
which your people suffer from restrictions
on traffic and from the loss of confidence,
which has so greatly injured this
industry, when we consider in addition that
this action of your commission must impair
the confidence of the country at large in
their intention to enforce thorough measures
for the suppression Of this plague and will
lead to more rigid and more prolonged local
quarantine, it is clear that under any Cir
cumstanoes the people OF Illinois must suffer
with the rest of the country because of this
ill-judged action.
The last reason given by the Commission
ers seems to have been the predominant one,
but is o less remarkable from every point of
view than those already referred to-
"TbeCOmmissioners save in this proposition
a chance to settle the question so far as they
are concerned, upon an extended scale, as to
whether pleuro-pneumonia can be spread
by immediate contact that is to say, this COM
for the express purpose OF suppressing the con-
tagiOus diseases OF animals, and neither haV-
ing nor protesting 20 have any scientific stand.
ing or ability, proposes to resolve itself into
q scientific commission for the purpose of
settling one Of the most delicate and difficult
questions in the realms of pathology. And
it is for this that the obligations of the State
have been violated, that the danger from the
werst cattle plaques is TO be maintained at
Chicago for an indefinite period, and that
the confidence of the country is to be de-
stroyed in the ability OF your authorities to
grapple intelligently with this calamity, the
influence OF which Is felt to the remotest sec
ton of the country. 1t is generally con-
sidered safest to leave scientific questions to
be settled by scientific men, and departures
from this rule have nearly always been fol
lowed Dy confusion worse confounded. That
this experiment will be followed by a like
result has been evident from Its inception.
THE question of experimentation is far
more complicated one than the commission
supposes. We have plenty OF evidence to
show that in some cases the disease is pro-
duced by infected premises, and in other
cases it is not. That is to say, there are con-
ditions of climate, of season and of surround
ings in which the disease is not propagated
by mediate contagion, and there are other
conditions under which it is so propagated.
| These conditions are very i'm perfectly under
stood, and ii will require years Of careful ex.
peIimental investigation by trained minds
| TO clear up the matter. Our only safety at
present is to consider that there is always
danger from mediate contagion, and to guard
against il by all possible precautions.
Finally, l should be pleased to know
| when this experiment is to terminate, and
at what time the commission will feel
| that they can decide the premises safe, in
case the disease has not appeared. If the
first cases developed should be mild it
ought to be five or SIX months, or even longer,
| before the disease could be recognized. And,
with floor underlaid by q great mass OF
organic filth, as is the case with this stable
filth that is possibly saturated with the con-
tsgion-the removal of few boards many
months hence might set up an outbreak
which would repeat all the losses the re-
| strictions and burdens of various kinds that
have been suffered from the present calamity.
81 have been anxiously waiting month
after month to hear that your commission
had adopted a rigorous and thorough policy
OF dealing with the plague-one that would
restore confidence to the country and allow
| trade to go on once more free from vexatious
restrictions. I had concluded that the
slaughter of these distillery cattle was the be-
/ ginning Of such policy, and it is with the
deepest regret that learn of this misguided
action, which 1GCst have the opposite effect.
Being frequently appealed to for advice or
| the necessary information as to local Quaran-
| tine, 1t is apparent that il will become my
| duty to admit that the measures adopted in
your State are not thorough, and that the
commission is remembering every measure
which can reasonably be considered neces-
sary to stamp out the contagion at once and
! for all time.
"1n conclusion, permit me to assure you
| that have bad the utmost confidence in
| your desire to have such measures enforced
| as would free Illinois in the shortest possible
time from the reproach Of suspicion of har-
/ boring this pestilence. 1t appears now
doubly important that you should take such
| action as will leave no reason for doubt in
| the mind Of any one as to the future policy
| of your State Live Stock Commissioners. To
| this end, would respectfully suggest that
| you cause the order of the board in regard to
| Tefilling the Shufeldt sheds TO be revoked
| that the cattle in those sheds be immedi-
| ately slaughtered, and that the department
be given the opportunity to practice such
disinfection as is desirable and possible I'M
| der the circumstances. / make this sdg-
gestion on behalf of the great cattle in
dustry, for the protection Of an important
part of the nations supply, and in behalf OF
| unrestricted commerce, which are to-
| gether threatened through this lack of CO.
operation with the Department Of Agricult-
ure on the part of the board which repre-
| sents your State"